Once a referral has been received you will receive a letter of confirmation and the referral will be triaged by an Audiologist. You will then receive a second letter requesting you call us to arrange an appointment for your child.

All appointments take approximately 30 minutes however please allow for extra time should testing take longer. Either one or two Audiologists will conduct the appointment. This will depend on your child’s age and stage of development. More than one appointment may be needed to define your child’s hearing ability.

Various tests may be used throughout the appointment. These will include objective tests that do not require a behavioural response from your child and behavioural tests that require your child to respond to sound stimuli. Each test will be chosen based on your child’s needs and stage of development. For a more detailed description of each test please see below.

At the end of the appointment the Audiologist will explain the results and discuss whether any review appointments or referrals to external services (e.g. Speech Pathology, Ear Nose and Throat specialists) are required

A copy of the report and results will be forwards to you via post. If you prefer to receive a copy via email please inform the Audiologist at the time of your appointment.

Tympanometry: An ear health check that can identify whether there is any fluid or congestion occurring in the middle ear and how well the eardrum is moving. This is not a hearing test.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs): An objective hearing screening that assesses the function of the outer hair cells of the cochlea (inner ear). Useful for children who are unable to complete behavioural testing, it can rule out a significant hearing loss and identify whether hearing is adequate for speech and language development.

Behavioural Audiometry:An appropriate test will be chosen based on your child’s stage of development. It may be one or more of the following:

Behavioural Observation Audiometry (BOA): Typically used for children under six months of age, this test involves assessing the child’s behavioural response to sound. Various noisemakers such as rattles, chime bars and crunching cellophane are used to elicit a response which may include a startle, blinking, or trying to look for the sound. The noisemakers used include a range of frequencies/pitches (low, mid to high) and will help the audiologist gain information about the severity of a hearing loss and how well the child can identify different frequencies/pitches. While this test can give an indication to the severity of the hearing loss, it cannot provide definite hearing thresholds. This test assesses overall hearing (better ear) as the child does not wear headphones.

Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA): Typically used for children between the ages of six months to 2.5 – 3.5 years, this test involves teaching the child to turn their head towards a speaker every time a sound is presented. When the child turns their head a reward (e.g. puppet, flashing fan) is given. Using this method accurate hearing thresholds of the child’s overall hearing (i.e. the better ear) can be obtained. In cases where individual ear information is necessary and the child is able to tolerate wearing headphones, individual ear information can be obtained.

Play audiometry (Play): Typically used when children are old enough to maintain attention and follow multi-step instructions (from 2.5 – 3.5 years), Play Audiometry involves the child responding to a sound stimulus by placing a coin into a cup or peg into a board. The aim is to make the test into a fun “game” so that a comprehensive set of results can be obtained. As the child wears headphones during testing, individual ear information can be obtained.

Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA): Typically used with Adults and children over 6 years, PTA involves listening for beeps and whistles and responding by pressing a button. PTA provides a comprehensive set of results. As the child wears headphones during testing, individual ear information can be obtained.

For more information on types of hearing losses and how to interpret results, visit the following topic:

Hearing Assessment Service operates within Children’s Audiology Service (Women's and Children's Health Network) which also includes the Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Service (UNHS) and the Audiology Department at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH).

Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening

The Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (UNHS) is a state-wide service coordinated by the Women's and Children's Health Network in South Australia. The Program provides free hearing screening to all new born babies to ensure early detection and implementation of intervention strategies for hearing loss.

Audiology Department, Women’s and Children’s Hospital

The Audiology Department provides an Audiology service for Paediatric Inpatients and for Paediatric Outpatient clinics, as well as for other specialised clinics in the Hospital. They also accept outside referrals from specialised medical professionals (e.g. Paediatrician, Ear Nose and Throat specialist).

The department works closely with the Department of ENT surgery and offers services to children with permanent hearing loss. For children with severe to profound hearing losses the department is able to provide assessments to establish Cochlear Implant candidacy. Hearing loss management includes close liaison with the ENT Department, Speech Pathology, Australian Hearing, and Educational Facilities.